Of Daydreams and Futures
by Kayomitsu
Summary: The Master of dreams witnesses something strange happen he had no memories of happening before. But the fingers of death hardly only chain down and soon he finds himself on his own journey of learning about growing up. For you can only learn so much from childhood before adulthood must become a teacher and shaper of who you are. Guardian or not.
1. Life spent for someone else

The night was silent and warm and a content smile was splayed on the sandmans face. Gold ropes of his magic twisted and pulsed through the air as they delivered dreams full with wonderment and happiness. He stared at the skyline as contentment settled over him...his job done for another night.

An insistent tugging startled him out of his reveling in dreams as he shot across the sky to to place he was being summoned. His face twisted into a frown when a window on the hospital opened to let him in.

Sandy expected the caller to be sleeping when he crept in the room so he was surprised when the figure turned her head to look at him. She smiled when her eyes found the small man and she beckoned him to sit on her bed. When he came closer he noticed her distended stomach and stared at the tiny girl in confusion. When he sat she grabbed his hand and placed it on her stomach.

He smiled when he sensed the tiny life glowing inside begin to move and distorted thoughts about the outside world formed. Strange peaceful feelings at the so very familiar voice. Sadness at the shaking of his home and the sounds of sadness coming from the voice that was always with him. Eagerness to hug the voice that kept him company.

The sandman frowned. The girl smiled sadly as he pulled his hand away. She handed him a paper and he read the bold print **Adoption **on the top and he immediately understood her sadness. She giggled quietly as he touched her nose and images of things that made her happy danced in front of her eyes.

When the images came to a close she reached over and opened her bedside drawer to withdraw a small clear marble she handed it to him and made a twisting motion with her hands. He twisted the top and bottom of the marble and watched as it grew bigger and as soon as it was as big as his hand images formed and he saw himself grow tall and open his mouth to speak. He watched himself dance across the seasons and enjoy the noonday sun.

When the door started to open he made to leave before she shook her head violently and pointed to a stool in the corner. He sat there and watched as the doctor injected something into her IV that made her grimace in pain before in a flurry of movement her bottom half and belly were bared and she began to work towards a goal who's path was riddled with intense pain.

He watched as bit by bit the life he had listened to was revealed for what he was then freed from his mother and whisked away. When she was cleaned and left alone he stepped closer again questions whizzing through his head at what he had witnessed. She smiled sadly and he suddenly understood.

A pang of sadness hit him then, she would never see her child again after nine months of constant companionship and painful work to bring him out to the world. Now, it was all for someone else to enjoy. As he sat on her bed she leaned forward and cupped a small hand around his ear.

"It's not personal happiness that matters in the long run; it's how much happiness you can give to others." Came the soft papery whisper. He smiled as acts of kindness done for no reason flitted throughout in silvery wisps.

It was curious the wisps he saw that seemed to bend to the whim of the girl as was the marble. A soft sigh drew his attention back to her. He knew her name as he watched the color leave her face.

A tired smile played on her lips as she stroked Sandy's round face.

"Time to go," she breathed out. The words nothing more than shaped air.

'Sleep well Ellera.' Sandy thought as he let his sands cover her skin to send her home in comfort.

Her lips parted as she breathed out one last time before becoming only a shell.

Looking sadly at her face one last time Sandy twisted the marble back down to small and tucked it in his robe. Glancing at the gray room he crept out the window just as the too late doctors rushed in.


	2. Chapter 2

The man in the moon had been silent for months. Clouds covered his face nearly every night but lately North had noticed the strength of the beams that did peek through and decided to take the sleigh up past the clouds. That very reason was why Sandys' small hand was patting Bunnymunds back as he heaved over the side of the sleigh.

"Jeeze Kangaroo no need or the dramatics." said Jack Frost. Bunnymund sat up and glared before turning to North and demanding again why they were there.

Bunny was shushed by North as Manny began his shadow play. Sandy watched in silent horror as the outline of Pitch crept about the floor of the sleigh before melting into the writhing mass of darkness that always lingered on the horizon.

"So what are we to do?" North asked as he fingered his blades. Attempting to shake away his fear; Sandy watched the moonlight for the answer eagerly.

When moonlight shifted over to him he stared up to the round white face in surprise. An intense warmth on his chest drew his attention downward. Reaching a small hand into his robe he drew out the small marble that had kept him company for a while now. Sometimes he still visited the hospital room when it was empty. He found the receivers feelings about such a selfless act made for good dream undertones.

He watched as the marble swirled with silver sand before growing to just under four feet in width. The group watched in fascination as the silver swirled faster and faster and the marble like quality was lost. The mass of sand froze suddenly before violently dropping away to reveal pale blue skin and long white hair that lifted up in nonexistent wind.

Her head lifted up and Sandy found himself staring into an all too familiar face. She smiled softly at him before studying the other sleigh occupants. Her sand formed a mid thigh length strapless dress around her body and moved accordingly while she drifted up towards Bunnymunds' face and stroked his fur.

"Well then Sandy, way to tell us you had a person in your pocket," it was Jack who spoke up as the girl pushed off of Bunny and poked at his staff before sitting on top of it. Sandy blushed; he hadn't known.

Tooth fluttered up to her and proceeded to stick her fingers in the girls mouth and poke at the teeth.

"We don't have your teeth," she muttered as she continued to dig about. The girl shrugged noncommitally before pushing Tooths hands away.

"So what's your name?" Jack asked as she continued to sit on his staff. Sandy knew the answer but he had no way of answering. The wind blew past and whispered her name in the silence.

"Ellera?" North checked. A nod. "What do you do?" A pale hand reached out and pointed at Sandy. "What has Sandy got to do with and of it?" She feigned sleeping with a small silver dream playing above her head.

Sandy bristled a bit; he was the dream maker! but then she 'woke up' and the dream went on underneath a sun. Daydreams. The answer was clear: she controlled daydreams.

Ellera opened her mouth and took a deep breath before speaking.

"Sandy and I must go now. I have much to teach him and little time to do it." Her voice was still dry and tuneless but it held a strange musical quality that made him feel happy in a strangely lonely sort of way.

She hopped off the staff and held out a hand. He took hold of it and watched as his friends melted away and the scenery morphed into a familiar type of room.

ok people! First thank you for the kind reviews! They mean a lot to me. I'm not overtly thrilled with this chapter but next chapter will be the start of our little adventure.


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